San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 1-for-5 with two RBI during Thursday's 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The 31-year-old has not had the best year at the plate in 2024 and has not hit a home run since May 3. Machado owns a .230/.279/.361 slash line with five homers, 27 RBI and two stolen bases across 48 games. We may be watching Machado's decline happen in real time as he is on pace for some of the worst numbers of his career. Despite the slow start, he is still a top-10 fantasy option at third base due to the lack of depth at the position.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (groin), outfielder Jack Suwinski and first baseman Rowdy Tellez are all sitting on Wednesday with the team facing San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell, who is making his first start off the injured list. Joey Bart will do the catching and bat seventh, Michael Taylor is in center field and hitting ninth, and Connor Joe is at first base and batting third against Snell. Grandal left Tuesday's game against the Giants late with left-groin soreness. The Pirates have catcher Grant Koch on the taxi squad, so there's a chance the 35-year-old veteran could land on the injured list. With ... [More]

Detroit Tigers right-hander Shelby Miller (elbow) completed a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. It was the first time that he had thrown off a mound since going on the injured list on May 13 with right ulnar nerve inflammation. The 33-year-old veteran will need to slowly build his arm back up with several more bullpen sessions before he's cleared to face live hitters in batting practice sessions or on a minor-league rehab assignment. Given the fact that Miller is now in a relief role, it shouldn't take him as long to return, which means he has a shot to come off the injured list before June. Miller isn't really on the fantasy radar at all and is currently 3-4 in 2024 with a 4.41 ERA (4.37 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP with six walks and 15 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings pitched in 15 appearances out of Detroit's bullpen.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that lefty reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) has opted to undergo an elbow operation that will likely end his season. The 35-year-old, who was an anchor for the team's bullpen, was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21. Mendoza said it is unclear if Raley will undergo Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure, which carries a shorter recovery timeline but would still likely leave Raley out for the rest of the 2024 season. Jake Diekman is currently the only lefty reliever in the Mets' bullpen, who has posted a respectable 3.86 ERA and 12.67 K/9 rate but has struggled with walks at a 7.71 BB/9 rate.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is expecting infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) to return from the 10-day injured list for a series that begins next Tuesday, May 28, against the Los Angeles Angels. When he returns, LeMahieu will be the team's everyday third baseman, which will be bad news for Oswaldo Cabrera, who has been playing regularly at the hot corner this year with LeMahieu sidelined. LeMahieu had his minor-league rehab assignment moved from Double-A Somerset to High-A Hudson Valley after going 2-for-3 with three walks in six plate appearances at Somerset. The 35-year-old is going to be mixed into regular playing time when he returns to the Bronx, but at the very least, LeMahieu deserves to be rostered in deep-mixed fantasy leagues now that he's a week away from making his 2024 debut.

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Yanks will give the veteran slugger the night off to rest here. That means, Aaron Judge will serve as the designated hitter, while Trent Grisham gets the start in center field versus right-hander Bryan Woo. The expectation is that Stanton will be back in the lineup after this game.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Carlos Carrasco (neck), who was scheduled to start on Tuesday against the visiting New York Mets, has been scratched and placed on the 15-day injured list with an acute neck spasm. Xzavion Curry has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus and will make the spot start on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Carrasco will be out for at least the next two weeks and possibly longer given his age. Although he currently has an ERA of 5.16 and a WHIP of 1.46 in 45 1/3 innings this year, Carrasco had been pitching better of late in his last three starts. However, he's also sporting a weak 17.2 percent strikeout rate and doesn't have a ton of fantasy upside in deeper leagues when he's in Cleveland's starting rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson locked down Monday's win over the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, striking out two batters in a clean ninth inning for his third save. Hudson needed 20 pitches to retire the side in order and stymie Arizona's late comeback attempt, but he got the job done in Monday's save situation. The 37-year-old veteran right-hander has flourished out of LA's bullpen this season, posting a 2.70 ERA and 0.75 WHIP while fanning 22 and walking only one with three saves over 20 innings of work. While save opportunities have been few and far between for the Dodgers as of late, Hudson should be viewed as the temporary favorite for ninth-inning work until star closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) returns from his minor-league rehab assignment.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had another solid offensive performance in Monday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Freemen provided one of three of his team's home runs, going 2-for-4 with a single and a grand slam. The 34-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down at the plate, slashing .298/.409/.464 with five HR, 29 RBI, and one stolen base. Even given his fantasy track record and high caliber, fantasy managers may be worried that age could negatively strike down his numbers at some point. This does not seem like an imminent threat, as he has continued to produce while hitting in the middle of one of baseball's best lineups.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (7-1) completed seven scoreless innings Monday night, improving his record to 7-1 in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres. Sale recorded his fourth straight game of nine or more strikeouts to go with his third straight scoreless start. In May, the lefty slinger looked like his former All-Star self with a total record of 4-0, a 0.36 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts in 25 innings of work. All of that without recording a single walk. Look for Sale to continue his dominant May this weekend against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that has struggled mightily against southpaws this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed reliever Joe Kelly (shoulder) started a throwing program on Monday. Kelly has resumed throwing after being put on the 15-day injured list on May 6 with a right-shoulder strain. Even though the 35-year-old veteran will likely require a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to the Dodgers' bullpen, it should be a short one, barring a setback with his shoulder. Kelly isn't really a candidate for saves in LA -- he has just seven in his 13-year MLB career -- but he's a valuable right-handed setup man in the Dodgers' bullpen when he's healthy and could have some appeal in deep holds leagues. Before his shoulder injury, Kelly had allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 13 hits while walking five and striking out 14 in 13 1/3 relief innings.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel as been confirmed as the closer going forward, according to manager Brandon Hyde. This doesn't come as much of a surprise after Kimbrel was tasked with closing down Sunday's game. The O's took a few weeks off from having Kimbrel as the closer, but he worked his way back into the role. Yennier Cano figures to return to his role as the set-up pitcher, so his fantasy value is going to take a significant hit.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (illness) is back at DH and is batting cleanup for the Mets on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Ben Lively. Martinez was held out of Sunday's lineup in the series finale against the Miami Marlins due to flu-like symptoms but is feeling good enough to return to action against a pitcher he's never faced in his career. The 36-year-old right-handed slugger got a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the Mets late. He opened the year playing in minor leagues to get his timing at the plate down, and it seems to have worked, as he's currently hitting .315/.359/.466 with two home runs in his first 21 games of the season. Fantasy managers will want to get the veteran DH back in their starting lineups to begin the week.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was nearly unhittable on Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. This marks back-to-back Sunday Night Baseball victories for Darvish, who posted an eerily similar line last week against the Dodgers. In both outings he went seven innings and allowed zero runs, two hits, and a walk. The only difference is that he managed two more strikeouts in this one, totaling nine compared to seven last week. The dominant performance lowered his ERA to 2.08 and his WHIP to 0.90. He should be an easy start in all fantasy leagues after stellar outings against two of the best offenses in baseball and his streak of not allowing an earned run reaching 26 IP.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel was asked with holding a three-run lead during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The veteran right-hander was removed from the closer role in early May. Hopefully for fantasy managers, Kimbrel is now getting eased back into the role. He was given a three-run lead and the bottom of the Mariners batting order on Sunday. He struck out two batters in a scoreless inning of work. It remains to be seen if Kimbrel has earned his closer role back.

Texas Rangers starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi (groin) and Dane Dunning (shoulder) are both scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Assuming all goes well, Dunning may return to the Rangers' starting rotation at some point this week. The 29-year-old is a viable streaming option in the right matchups and owns a 4.10 ERA through seven starts in 2024. Eovaldi's return is a little more unclear as he continues to progress through his recovery. The 34-year-old is worthy of being stashed in the majority of formats as he was off to a strong start prior to the injury.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Fantasy managers don't have anything to worry about as this appears to be a routine rest day for Smith. In his absence, Austin Barnes will handle behind the plate and bat ninth on Sunday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option considering Barnes isn't known for his ability with the bat.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte will not start on Sunday against the Marlins in Miami. It appears to just be a normal day of rest for the 35-year-old veteran. DJ Stewart is getting the start in right field for the Mets and will hit cleanup against Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez. Marte has stayed healthy so far this year through 183 plate appearances and is currently slashing .266/.313/.379 with four home runs, 16 RBI, eight stolen bases and 22 runs scored for the Mets. He should be back in the lineup on Monday for the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Stewart has some thump in his lumber with four home runs in 35 games in 2024, but he's also hitting just .203 (15-for-74) with 16 RBI, 19 walks and 19 strikeouts. He has never faced Sanchez in his career.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (illness) is out of the starting lineup on Sunday against the Miami Marlins due to flu-like symptoms. There is some kind of bug going around the team's clubhouse right now. With Martinez under the weather, Brandon Nimmo will serve as the DH and bat third, with Tyrone Taylor in left field and hitting fifth against Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez. Fantasy managers will need to remove Martinez from their starting lineups and check back on Monday to see if he's feeling good enough to play in the series opener in Cleveland against the Guardians. Martinez didn't make his 2024 debut for the Mets until April 26, but he's hit the ground running and is currently batting .315 (23-for-73) with two home runs and nine RBI in 21 games. The six-time All-Star is still a nice source of power in fantasy despite being 36 years old.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton crushed a solo shot and went 2-3 with two RBI and a walk in the Yankees 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon. The 382-foot shot was Stanton's 11th HR of the season. Stanton was lackluster, by his standards, during April but has heated up in May, hitting for an .871 OPS during the month with five HR. The slugger now has a HR in three of his last four games and is one of three Yankees who have hit 11 or more HR on the season (Judge, Soto, Stanton). The 34-year-old will look to continue his hot month on Sunday when he faces off against White Sox scheduled starter Chris Flexen.